Kona Bay Fabrics back from Quilt Market

Kona Bay Fabrics staff has returned from the recent Quilt Market (wholesale trade show) in Houston and it was so nice to see our customers, sales team and friends!!

We showed many of our new fabrics and we were very pleased with the response from our customers!!

Our VP, Kristina Nakashima, was thrilled she got to meet Ty Pennington as many say that Ty and I look a lot alike....(yeah right!!!)

One of the highlights of our Quilt Market show was showcasing the actual fabric from the SHADOWLAND COLLECTION which was done in conjunction with super star Jason Yenter from In the Beginning Fabrics.

We hope those in attendance had  a great time and we thank you so much for visiting our booth.

Soon, many of the new fabrics shown to our quilt shop customers at Quilt Market will be in your local quilt shop and we know you are going to love them!!


Mahalo from Da Textile Samurai

How Kona Bay Fabrics got started

People often wonder how Kona Bay Fabrics (http://www.konabay.com) came to be. It’s an interesting story (I’m biased—but it really is!). So grab your coffee and I’ll tell you the story.

My career managing political campaigns brought me to Hawaii in 1974 right after college.  

After doing the political jumps through hoops and doing my part to elect good people to political office,  I decided business was my next arena.  Kona coffee was a hot commodity, so I started Kona Bay Coffee Estates. I had made the transition to business owner and I loved it.

Textiles were a recurring topic during Japan trips I was making on behalf of the coffee business. I knew little about textiles. In 1991, that changed.

An invitation from a Japanese trading company I was regularly doing business with to attend a textile trade show on the west coast sounded like a fun outing to the mainland. Trading companies are brokers who deal in many different products. This company wanted to investigate textiles in the US.

I was astounded. At food trade shows people sample your coffee and take their thoughts back home with them. At the textile show, people were lined up waiting to place their order. Hmmm, I was balancing the options in my mind—A business where you get an instant order or one where you wait for orders. You can guess where the scale tipped. The trading company offered to provide me with bolts of fabric—cotton sateen’s with oriental designs so I could test the waters.

That fall I bought a booth at the annual quilt market show in Houston. People like Mary Ellen Hopkins, a famous quilter we all love, saw my tiny booth and our gorgeous fabrics and dragged hundreds of quilters to my booth to see our designs. My Asian fabric business took hold. I felt like I had been swimming in this pool all my life and the water felt wonderful. Kona Bay Fabrics was born.

Many people have played a key role in helping to shape Kona Bay what it is today and one of them was my good friend and mentor, the late Irwin Bear, President of P&B Textiles.

Now, 22 wonderful years later, I am just as enthusiastic and excited as ever. I am still fascinated by the artistic talent and appreciate the dedication that quilters show for their craft.

I have made many life long friends as a result of Kona Bay Fabrics and I’m grateful to be a part of the quilting and fabric community.


Kona Bay Fabrics is only 22 years old and I look forward to the next 22 years with the same enthusiasm. 

Kona Bay Fabrics' Shadowland Collection Released

Kona Bay Fabrics is proud to announce that quilt shops have now received  one of Kona Bay's most popular and gorgeous fabric collections this year -- SHADOWLAND COLLECTION.

Kona Bay's SHADOWLAND COLLECTION is a very pretty fabric group combining the special printing technique from Kona Bay and  distinctive designs by In the Beginning's very own Jason Yenter.

There are thrity-three wonderful fabric selections in SHADOWLAND  that covers the color spectrum with much beauty and elegance.

For the first time ever, Kona Bay Fabrics has published a companion book featuring six beautiful quilts by our very own Georgie Gerl, an award winning quilter from Spokane, WA.

Please visit your local quilt shop today and see what the SHADOWLAND excitement is all about!!

Kona Bay Fabrics ready for Quilt Market

Kona Bay Fabrics staff is working very hard to get ready for the upcoming Quilt Market show in Houston this week.

Those attending Quilt Market are invited to come by our booth at 1336 and see all our fabric collections and treat yourself to a chocolate macadamia nut from Hawaii which has been our official booth candy since we started in 1991.

This wholesale show is where Kona Bay Fabrics gets together with its loyal quilt shop customers and dedicated sales reps  to show out latest beautiful fabric collections and we hope to please one and all with our new collections.

Three of the gorgeous collections being shown this year are:

Hanko  (Japanese stamp)  Collection:

These Japanese stamp motif fabrics come in five wonderful colors and can be used for any of your quilt projects.

Kasa (Umbrella) Collection:

Kona Bay Fabrics gorgeous Kasa Collection features six beautiful colors and they are absolutely stunning!!

Flutter Friends:

Kona Bay Fabrics has been producing wonderful Asian fabrics since 1991 and one of our most famous motifs has always been our dragonflies.  This Flutter Friends group keeps with that time honored tradition.


All three of these fabric collections will be available at your local quilt shop in December and we hope you love them as much as we do!!

You can always visit our Kona Bay Fabrics website and see all the colors in these three groups along with the many other fabric collections.

Kona Bay Fabrics has two new collections being shipped to quilt shops now!

Kona Bay Fabrics is now shipping two wonderful and gorgeous fabric groups to your favorite quilt shop as we speak!!


Butterfly Carnival Collection and Leaf Candy have been very popular sellers and we know the quilt shops are eager to receive them to show their customers!!


Butterfly Carnival has a FREE ONLINE pattern that can be downloaded from the Kona Bay Fabrics website so make sure you print it out before heading over to your favorite quilt shop.


Kona Bay's Leaf Candy is a beautiful tonal group with so many colors for you to fall in love with!


Mahalo and Aloha from Da Textile Samurai of Kona Bay Fabrics!!

Kona Bay Fabrics' Butterfly Carnival fabrics have arrived!!

Kona Bay Fabrics is so happy to announce that Butterfly Carnival Collection -- one of our most popular collections of the year --  has arrived at the Seattle docks and will soon be unloaded!!


From there, the warehouse  lads and laddies will fold this beautiful fabric and ship to our wonderful quilt shop customers for all to enjoy!!


Kona Bay Fabrics would also like to remind everyone that a FREE pattern using the pretty Butterfly Carnival Collection is online at the Kona Bay Fabrics website.


Now would be a great time to download the pattern, then head into your local quilt shop to check out the gorgeous fabrics.


Thanks to one and all for making our Butterfly Carnival Collection so successful!!!


Mahalo and Aloha from Da Textile Samurai!!

Kona Bay Fabrics catalog now online and FREE!

Kona Bay Fabrics has put its FREE catalog on its current fabric selections online for all to enjoy!!


We encourage everyone to review the catalog showcasing all the wonderful Kona Bay fabric collections before visiting your local quilt shop to check these gorgeous fabrics out in person.


Please enjoy the free Kona Bay Fabrics catalog with our compliments!!


We hope you enjoy our Kona Bay Fabrics as much as we love producing them for everyone!!  MAHALO!!

Kona Bay Fabrics's Asian Fabric Mag is FREE ONLINE!!

Beginning this Thursday, the very poplular Asian Fabric magazine, now in its' seventh year of publication, will become a free online publication.


Enjoy free projects and patterns celebrating Asian fabric, a peek at upcoming Kona Bay fabric releases, tips and techniques you'll use again and again, book reviews and a gallery of spectacular reader created projects.

Issue #26 features projects by Kona Bay's Georgie Gerl and guest contributors Patricia Brown and Pepper Cory. Plus, join us as we travel through Asia, learn about the culture and experience the food (complete with recipes you can try!). We'll be in Japan for Issue #26. You'll even find delightful tips to help you entertain. The first online issue is coming this week - Don't miss out! Click here to visit Kona Bay's homepage. In the right column, click where it says, "Sign up here" to provide your e-mail address. Don't forget to tell your friends! Visit Kona Bay Fabrics website now to sign up!!

In the right column, click were it says, "Sign up here" to provide your e-mail address. Mahalo!

Kona Bay Fabrics Koi Garden Collection Arrives!!

Kona Bay Fabrics is happy to announce that the very popular KOI GARDEN Collection has landed at the Seattle docks and within 7-10 days, it will be in the quilt shops and available for all Kona Bay fans to enjoy!!


In addition, the  free KOI GARDEN pattern is now available on the Kona Bay Fabrics website and you can download it now for free and start to plan your amazing quilt.


When Kona Bay first showed the artwork for this group, we knew we had a huge hit on our hands!!


Quilt shops were excited as well as our  Kona Bay Fabrics Facebook fans --- and we now number almost 7,000!


Prepare yourself for a great fabric collection and a beautiful quilt project by taking advantage of our FREE quilt pattern from our website!


Mahalo and Aloha from Da Textile Samurai!!

Kona Bay Fabrics back from Spring Quilt Market

Kona Bay Fabrics has returned from a successful Quilt Market which was recently held in Kansas City, MO.  Quilt Market is held twice a year in which Kona Bay is able to show the quilting industry our latest fabric collections and meet with our customers and sales reps.


This year, the highlight of the show for Kona Bay was the showcasing of the hugely successful SHADOWLAND COLLECTION which was done in conjunction with quilting superstar Jason Yenter of In the Beginning Fabrics fame.

Shadowland Collection will be released in Sept/Oct and for the first time ever, Kona Bay Fabrics will be publishing a book  of six beautiful quilt projects involving the Shadowland Collection.


Quilt shop customers should be seeing their Kona Bay sales rep shortly with all the sample color boards and I know there are going to be blown away by the designs and the colors of this superb fabric group!!

Kona Bay Fabrics Teams Up with Jason Yenter!!

Kona Bay Fabrics, once again, is leading the way into unexplored territory with the release of their exciting new collection named Shadowland.

This striking tonal collection was inspired by vintage Kona Bay fabric and designed by Jason Yenter, the celebrated President of In The Beginning Fabrics. “We love the captivating collection Jason has created for us,” President of Kona Bay Fabrics, Douglas Eagleson, said excitedly, “It is sure to be the runaway hit of the year!”

Over lunch one day, Eagleson shared a favorite piece of early, immensely popular, Kona Bay fabric with Yenter. He mentioned he was hoping to bring it back for Kona Bay’s twentieth anniversary this year. Yenter, whose family owns In The Beginning Fabrics, is the designer of many successful fabric collections himself. He was fascinated by the subtle elements and printing technique used. He commented that he’d love to be involved in creating a new series of designs bringing into play these unique Kona Bay techniques. With that, the Shadowland Collection was born.

“Kona Bay Fabrics is both blessed and honored in having Jason Yenter—one of the fabric industry’s premier fabric and quilt designers—involved in this dynamic project with Kona Bay,” Eagleson commented, “No one knows fabric design and coloring like Jason and the Shadowland Collection proves this point once again!” 

In celebration of this very special industry first, Kona Bay will be releasing their first pattern book at the same time. Shadowland Collection Quilts will feature six gorgeous quilt projects created using the Shadowland Collection.  Award winning Quilt Designer, Georgie Gerl, will teach different techniques with each pattern. The Shadowland Collection and book will both be available at local quilt shops this September.

Kona Bay Fabrics, who sells solely wholesale, is taking orders now for the Shadowland Collection and the accompanying book due out September. 

The entire Shadowland Collection may be viewed on the Kona Bay Fabrics website at  www.konabay.com and orders can be placed by calling Kona Bay Fabrics at 1-800-531-7913.

Kona Bay Fabrics is US Distributor for DaGama Textiles

Kona Bay Fabrics is very proud to be the US Distributor for DaGama Textiles...a fabric manufacturer from South African that is famous for its many fabrics. Now we are equally pleased to provide you with a free quilt pattern using the beautiful DaGama fabrics. Kona Bay will be releasing its group of DaGama fabrics in late May or early June and encourages one and all to visit their local quilt shop to view this gorgeous fabric assortment.

Kona Bay Fabrics has new fabric collections!

Kona Bay Fabrics is gearing up for the upcoming Quilt Market and with that comes the release of many of our new fabric collections.


Pictured above is a beautiful fabric collection entitled Rain Forest Festival which is a tribute to one of our more popular designs in celebration of our twenty years in the quilting industry.


 Rain Forest Festival  is a gorgeous leaf design in nine wonderful colors and will be released to quilt shops in August.


Quilt Market is a wholesale show for the quilting industry and will be held this Spring in Kansas City, Missouri from May 18-20.

Kona Bay Fabrics Gorgeous Sanctuary Collection

As a parent, I know that you should never play favorites with your children. As a proud owner of Kona Bay Fabrics, it is very hard not to play favorites with my fabric collections. But, with our upcoming and gorgeous SANCTUARY COLLECTION, it will be very hard not to.

This could possibly be my most favorite collection this year and Kona Bay Fabrics has produced some very beautiful fabric collections in 2012.

Our SANCTUARY COLLECTION is scheduled to be released around August although fans who got a sneak peek earlier are all demanding it be released now!

Patience, grasshopper.....patience:)

Kona Bay Fabrics will be at Quilt Market again!!

Since 1991 when Kona Bay Fabrics started, we have been at International Quilt Market every year!

For the quilting industry, it is the Big Dance where fabric companies, pattern makers, quilters, artists, sales reps, etc., all gather to get reacquainted and show the industry and quilt shop owners our new products.

This year, the Spring Quilt Market will be in delightful Kansas City, Missouri and the dates are May 18 thru May 20.

Kona Bay will be in booths 2812 and 2913 and encourage one and all to stop by our booth not only to see our new gorgeous fabrics but to get their chocolate macadamia nut candy from Hawaii. Passing out these delicacies has been our tradition from our very first show and we are not able to break tradition.

See you in Kansas City!!

Gorgeous bags made with our Kona Bay Fabrics

I absolutely love seeing all the wonderful items that our made by the very talented customers and fans of Kona Bay Fabrics.

Here are two gorgeous bags made by one of our super customers -- Shuko Akune -- and they look splendid!!

Thanks to Shuko and all the many Kona Bay fans who make our Kona Bay Fabrics come alive!!

More DaGama Textiles are now on Kona Bay's Website!

Kona Bay Fabrics just added 26 new designs of DaGama Textiles Coral Tree Fabric Collections to their website, bringing the total DaGama designs offered by Kona Bay to 77. These are beautiful, combed cotton fabrics and come in a wide variety of colors, including white on white, white on cream and some lovely, earthy batik-like fabrics. Check it out!

While you are there, check out all the beautiful tonal fabrics from Kona Bay Fabrics.

Asian Fabric Magazine at Quilt Shops Now!

Issue 25 of Kona Bay Fabrics' Asian Fabric magazine is now at your local quilt shop and it is jammed packed with great patterns, pictures, features, recipes and all types of goodness!!

In this issue are featured patterns from quilting notables as Georgie Gerl, Susan Claire Mayfield, Susan Guzman and Gloria Stehley!!

The travel article for this issue is all about Matsumoto, Japan and its famous castle.

Please visit your local quilt shop to pick up your copy today or go to the Kona Bay website.

Kona Bay Fabrics' Magical Flight Collection has Arrived!

So light and refreshing, the Magical Flight Collection from Kona Bay Fabrics seems to make everyone who sees it smile. The brightly colored dragonflies frolic on a deep black background and are highlighted in gold metallic. Pair this collection with one of Kona Bay's fantastic tonal groups, like Geisha Tonals, Paradise Gold Dust or Color Movement for a truly fantastic project.

Remember to send pictures of how you use your Kona Bay fabric. Your creations might be published in an upcoming issue of Asian Fabric Magazine!

Kona Bay Fabrics Web Page Updated with NEW!!!

Busy time at Kona Bay Fabrics and we have just updated the Kona Bay Fabrics website to include our many new and upcoming fabric collections for 2012!!

Pictured above is the elegant and colorful Changing Seasons tonal group and these gorgeous fabrics will be available in your local quilt shop in April.

Many more new wonderful collections are now being shown on the Kona Bay website so please run over and check out what you can look forward to in your local quilt shop in the very near future!!

Kona Bay Eco Friendly Hot/Cold Bags a Hit!

Of course you want to be styling when you go grocery shopping or taking your lunch to work. These hot/cold bags are aluminum and plastic lined for keeping your food either hot or cold. And for your kids, this is not your ordinary boring brown paper bag.

What better way to let the world know how cool and environmental conscious than by showing off your Kona Bay eco friendly hot/cold bag!!

Kona Bay has eleven beautiful bags all from talented artists !

Six bags have a Pacific Northwest theme and five are universally loved no matter where you reside.

These bags are available at your local quilt shop as well as online at Kona Bay Gifts.

Get some for yourself and don't forget that they also make great gifts!!

Be prepared to be stopped by many people wanting to know where you got your cool bag

Kona Bay Fabrics releases new FREE pattern!

Was backed up a bit by all the snow days here in the Seattle, WA area but during that time away from blogging, we finished the latest new FREE pattern for all to enjoy.

Kona Bay's Garden Gazing Collection is one of our "less is more" quilting projects in which you only need six fabrics to make this gorgeous quilt.

Kona Bay understands that during a recession, it is not always possible for quilters to buy many, many fabrics to make a beautiful quilt. Thus, Kona Bay's "Less is More" quilt projects were born and Garden Gazing Collection is our first offering.

Please enjoy the free pattern with our compliments.

The Garden Gazing Collection will be available in your favorite local quilt shop in February.

Kona Bay next butterfly group: Butterfly Carnival

As a follow up to the immensely popular Rainbow Garden fabric collection, Kona Bay will be having a new butterfly theme fabric group later this Spring entitled Butterfly Carnival.

Pictured above are the quilt patterns from the two colorways which will be FREE in a month or two prior to the release of the collection in the Spring.

We are all so happy in how this gorgeous fabric collection came out and can't wait to begin to start showing the color boards to our quilt shop customers and Kona Bay fans!!

Aloha from Da Textile Samurai

New Butterfly fabric group soon from Kona Bay

Kona Bay Fabrics very talented artist and quilter working on possible quilt pattern which will use the new Butterfly theme fabrics to be released by Kona Bay this Spring.

We are looking at various pattern options and wanted to show our blog fans this quilt pattern.

Please let us know what you think!!

Mahalo and Aloha from Da Textile Samurai

New Year Gifts from Kona Bay Fabrics

What better way to start out a new year than with FREE patterns from Kona Bay Fabrics!!

Please visit our Kona Bay Fabrics web site to see how many complimentary patterns we have for you to download and enjoy.

The quilt pictured above is from the soon to be released GENTLE BREEZE Collection and these fabrics should be in your favorite quilt shop by the end of this month. This pattern is also on our web site and available for FREE!

Thanks so much for all your support and input this past year and we hope 2012 is a great year for you!!

Aloha and Mahalo from Da Textile Samurai!